Egypt: Monk Executed for Murder
Isaiah had been sentenced in 2019 for the July 2018 murder of Bishop Epiphanius (+64), the abbot of the thriving Grand Monastery of St Macarius, north of Cairo. The monastery houses 150 monks. Epiphanius, a trained medical doctor, was slain with an iron bar.
The convict has been one of six monks who were constantly at conflict with Epiphanius including disobeying his orders such as leaving the monastery without permission.
After his arrest, Isaiah remained unaccounted for almost a month. His confession was torture-tainted, including a 22-hour straight interrogation. Isaiah denied them before the judge.
The death sentence was upheld on appeal. Egypt's highest Sunni Muslim authority approved the death sentence.
The family of the monk confirmed to Amnesty International that the execution took place at dawn. The relatives were not informed in advance.
Another monk, Philotheos (Raymond Rasmi Mansour) was also sentenced to death for helping Isaiah carry out the crime. This sentence was later changed to life in prison.
Picture: © Ian McKellar, CC BY-SA, #newsCobhiplrle